Estate workers cry foul over land approval

Several families from a plantation in Hulu Selangor have alleged abuse by the district Land Office.

HULU SELANGOR: Irked plantation workers are demanding that the Hulu Selangor Land Office reveal how one of its officers allegedly secured a temporary occupation licence (TOL) for a much sought-after plot here.

Speaking on behalf of residents from the Nigel Gardner estate, M Radha Krishnan claimed that Hulu Selangor Land Office had awarded two acres of the land to a staff named Abdullah Kutty and his daughter Shalina Abdullah Kutty.

He said this had come as a surprise to them because an assistant district officer had told them that no one could hold the licence for the particular land.

“Since 1999 we (the nine families) have been applying (for TOL). Each time when we go to the Land Office to follow up on our submission, we were told that our applications were lost.

“We have repeatedly submitted our application. We have re-applied three times.

“But now again our forms have gone missing.

“We are really fed up with the Land Office… there is something fishy here,” Radha Krishnan, adding that he was convinced that Abdullah Kutty had more than two acres.

“I believe they (Land Office) have awarded him the whole nine acres which we have been applying for,” he added.

Power abuse

According to Radha Krishnan, the land was originally cultivated by their fathers.

“They planted vegetables for daily use until 1963 when Socfin Plantation Sdn Bhd took over the land and planted oil palm trees in the nine acres.

“But when in 1999 Socfin sold the land to Berjaya Plantation, the Land Office declared the nine- acre land as reserve land.

“But since the Land Office did not clear the oil palm trees, Socfin allowed our nine families from Nigel Gardner to harvest the area.

“We have been here for a very long time. This is a very serious matter. We believe the Land Office is abusing its power by occupying reserve land,” he said.

Radha Krishnan wants the Pakatan Rakyat government to look into this matter, saying that he is sure there are similar cases in other districts in the state.

FMT, meanwhile, could not reach any officials from the Hulu Selangor Land Office. They were all allegedly at a meeting.

It was learnt, however, that the District Officer had agreed to meet all the nine families on July 8.